Find us on social networks

Check your heating oil tank before it
becomes an environmental problem or affects
a real estate transaction. Prevention can save you money and protect the environment.

Older storage tanks for home heating oil—whether underground, above-ground, or in the basement—can rust and leak over time, and contaminate soil or ground water. This poses a number of environmental/health risks and New Jersey law requires homeowners to take prompt action to minimize those risks.

Signs that a home heating oil tank is leaking include:

an unexplained increase in fuel oil consumption

water in your underground storage tank

constant problems with your oil burner

staining on basement walls or floor

oil sheen in basement sump or French drain

fuel oil odors in areas other than around the oil burner

If you have any of the conditions described above, contact your heating system service company to rule out mainte­nance problems. To determine if the problems are caused by a leaking fuel oil storage tank, contact an environmental contractor listed in the telephone book, or consult the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection list of certi­fied "Cleanup Stars," who are pre-qualified by the NJDEP to investigate and remediate certain sites, including home­owner oil tanks. For a list of NJDEP-certified Cleanup Stars, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/srp/cleanupstar/cstar_dir.htm.